The Irish standard., 1887-06-04


And silent turned away;
But he made poor Mary's pillow
With tender hands that day.
And often something choked him
AS of rising tears-and oft
He heard through the tap of the hammer
..Please-make-her-pil lOw-sOft."
HOW JAMES STEPHENS ESCAPED.
BY THE CAPTAIN OF THE CONCORD.
One-and-twenty years ago every dead
wall in Dublin was placarded in letters
of regal magnitude offering reward of
$4,000, for the capture of James Steph.
ems. the head centre of the Fenian Or
ganization. Eorprivate information that
would lead to his arrest the tempting
figure of 81 900 was offered. Although
his whereabouts was known the scores
of people during the four months that
he remained in Dublin after his escape
from Richmond prison, not one of them
would sell the secret for all the money
in the Bank Of England. The manner
of Stephens escape from Ireland has
been for over twenty years the subject
of conjecture and speculation; but the
unvarnished tale Of the interesting
event has at last been written by the
gallant captain who owned and COM
manded the little craft that saved the
Head Centre from the hangman's rope.
The narrative which we have received
from Captain -- himself, is relat-
ed in simple but graphic language, and
the hairbreadth escapes are painted
without varnish or exaggeration. The
Captain says:
My narrative begins with the early
days OF March, 1866, when with John
Flood, an old friend and townsman,
and as fine speciman of Irish man
hood as need be seen, and his friend,
Col. Kelly, with whom I had no previ-
Gus acquaintance, L made arrangements
to take Stephens and themselves to a
port in the north Of France. For the
benefit of those who may not have a
clear recollection of those stirring times
may mention that at the period Of
which lam giving an account the whole
available forces of the crown of these
islands was concentrated upon one OBJ
iceland that object the re.capture of
redoubtable James Stephens; added to
which there was a reward of $4,000
upon his head. So that the taking of his
body alive out of Ireland was task of
no small magnitude, more especially as
the whole line of quays, north and
south, was placarded with the tempting
fortune of $4,000 to any person who
would give such information as would
lead tohis capture, hence the sailors who
manned the vessels that left the port
were, and not unnaturally, on the alert
as to strangers taking passage in any of
the coasting GOLFERS. That being the
description of the craft which I owned
and commanded at the time, the good
brigatine Concord, 1 may here state that
that the usual number of my crew was
six men and a boy, and in consequence
of the number of those coming, to avoid
suspicion, 1 discharged corresponding
number of my men, including my mate,
which left me but two men and the boy,
and nautically speaking, the three duff
fers.
WAITING TO START.
Now, it is notorious fact, that this
time there was two revenue cutters, one
at each side of Poolberg, to board any
suspicious craft outward bound. For
eight or nine days after our arrange
ment we were detained in the Liffey
waiting for start of wind, and making
whatever preparation we could for our
perilous voyage. An additional flip
was given to my anxiety on March II
by pilot, who had vessel out Of port
that day, and who told me that he was
obliged to heave the ship to in the bay
when search of over an hour was
made, and not an inch of the ship but
was overhauled and every man on
board questioned.
STEPHENS AT THE WINCH.
After hearing this cheerful news
from the pilot, who little thought what
an interest I had in his yarn, 1 retired
to my cabin to think. leave my read
ers to imagine whare my thoughts were,
if they are so minded. On the 18th I
had my vessel hauled out in the river,
ready to start, and at 9 O'Clock, p. NJ,
on Tuesday, the 18th inst, was at the
landing steps opposite BoYd's Chemical
Works by appointment, when my three
advencurers stepped into my boat, and
I skulled them on board as quickly as
possible. We cast off our moorings,